As will be immediately obvious, snorkeling is practiced all over in New Caledonia, year round! This isn’t heaven, it's even better: a colorful show in crystal clear waters, guaranteed, with lots of fish and few people. At your fins, mask and snorkel, the lagoon does not wait!

Nouméa, the capital city of New Caledonia is on the ocean. Several bays extend along the city, providing magnificent beaches and points of view. Besides its natural features, Nouméa also has very attractive cultural offerings for tourists who choose to visit there.

From Ouvéa to the Isle of Pines, passing through Lifou, Tiga and Maré, the five islands bordering the Mainland, Grande Terre to the East are yet more gems to discover. From the blue hole of Hanawa at Ouvéa to the Warrior’s Leap at Wakone on Maré, via the Jokin Cliffs at Lifou or the Oro Bay on the Isle of Pines, let yourself be amazed!

The West Coast of the mainland (Grande Terre) shows off a great variety of scenery from its northern tip down to the area surrounding Nouméa. Characterised by both large spaces favouring cattle farming and a lagoon of stunning beauty, the West Coast is also host to a rich cultural heritage.

The central mountain range of the Mainland (Grande Terre) is a natural boundary, overlooking the very different faces of the East and West Coasts. Exposed to strong winds and therefore more humid, the eastern coast offers scenery with sumptuous flora. With a population of largely Melanesian origin, the East Coast has also retained a particularly charming flavour of authenticity.

The Great South, comprising the Mont-Dore and Yaté municipalities, is the most symbolic region for New Caledonia’s three main colours: blue, green and red. From the rainforest to the mining lands there are a thousand shades of green, while the ocean offers a dazzling palette of blues. But if one colour dominates the Great South, it is the specific red of its ground.

Oro Bayand its mythical natural swimming pool

Just a few cable-lengths from Oro Bay, known for being the location of a famous hotel, is a natural basin cut out of the coral, whose reputation has broken out of the borders of New Caledonia.

It can be easily reached via a route which runs along a section of the sea whose waters are incomparably clear and bordered by a colonnade of majestic palm trees.

A legendary place

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A natural aquarium

Surrounded by sharp rocks, Oro’s natural swimming pool offers an enchanting setting of rare magnificence. In this basin, covering around one hectare (according to the Mareans...), thousands of multi-coloured fish show themselves off to tourists who have come to admire them. Be careful, however, not to step on the corals. The ecosystem of this natural aquarium, with its clear and limpid waters, is exceptionally fragile; it is only right to respect it.

The legend of Oro

You might even find yourself at the centre of a scary local legend, which states that Oro contains a taboo place which hides a giant serpent, the Manghénine, who haunts this place by night. Watch out for an unplanned encounter !